Category: Teaching

The Son of Encouragement

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There are all sorts of people with whom I come in contact that have the power to impact the way I feel. I met a person in a store the other day at the cash register who did not smile, hardly spoke and was just unfriendly. I left there feeling worse than when I came in. Later that same week, an associate at Sam’s Club was pretty friendly and very polite. She had a warm and conversational attitude and caused me to leave there feeling better than when I came in. Some people might make you angry. Some will make you sad. Some will even make you sick because they tell you about every little ache and pain they have.

Have you ever been around someone that just makes you feel better just by being around them? That’s the type of person Barnabas was! Start thinking about what type of person you are? How do you make people feel when you’re around them?

As a disciple of Jesus, Barnabas was committed to telling the good news about Jesus. He left people feeling good because he gave them something to feel good about. Do you leave people better than when you first see them? Not a bad goal to have.

Barnabas’ life displays certain characteristics that distinguish him as a servant of Christ. These characteristics can help us determine if our lives are consistent with the image of Christ. Let’s look at these characteristics found in his life and see if they are present in our lives.

His Goodness (Acts 11:24) Another word could be “righteous.” This refers to the righteousness that results in a Christian’s life once he has been made righteous by Jesus.

  1. Introduction of Paul to the Apostles (Acts 9:27)
  2. Emulation of Jesus. The phrase “he was a good man” tells us that he was like Jesus. (Acts 10:38) The church needs people whose lives are marked by goodness. Is God’s goodness present in your life?

His Generosity (Acts 4:36-37, 13:2-3) Barnabas proved to be quite a generous person.

  1. He was generous with his land (Acts 4:36-37) He gave up his possessions to benefit other people.
  2. He was generous with his life (Acts 13:2-3) His life was not his own, but was the Lord’s to do with as He saw fit.
  3. He was generous with his Lord (Acts 20:35) Luke reminds us of a quote that is not recorded in the gospels, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Every church needs people who are generous with Jesus. God exhibited ultimate generosity when He gave His only Son’s life for you and me! Can we do any less than give Him our lives as living sacrifices? (Romans 12:1)

His Godliness (Acts 11:24) He was “full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” Barnabas was God-possessed! He had so allowed the Holy Spirit to have control of his life that he was in the center of God’s will for his life. Because of his faith he was totally committed to being like Christ.

  1. He was Christlike in his conduct – (walk).
  2. He was Christlike in his conversation – (talk).

(see Ephesians 5:18-21) What you are on the inside is determined by your walk (conduct) and your talk (conversation).

His Gift of Grace (Acts 4:36) “Son of consolation or exhortation” This is what his name meant. In Acts 11:23 we read that he “exhorted them all” (Acts 13:43; 14:22)

  1. The church needs “Sons of Consolation.” So many times we will beat up our own, or we are wounded by friendly fire. We need to comfort one another, rather than criticize one another.
  2. We need “Sons of Exhortation.” Too many people say we can’t do that! I believe that with a little encouragement, the attitude of any church will change from “I can’t” to “I think I can” to “I can!”

His Gladness (Acts 11:23) Why was Barnabas glad? Could it be that people were getting right with God? His gladness made him want more people to come to Christ. He went around boldly telling people how to have a relationship with Christ! Matthew 18:12-13 uses the word “rejoice” which is the same word as “glad” in the Greek.

Are you glad when people come to Christ or could you care less? It seems like a silly question to a believer, because a person who is sold out to God is glad when people get saved! A lost person or a backslidden believer (carnal, cultural or casual Christian) couldn’t care less.

Can these characteristics of goodness, generosity, godliness, gift of grace, gladness) be found in your life? If not, why not?

  1. One reason may be that you are a casual or cultural Christian!
  2. Another reason may be you are lost, never before accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord.
  3. If you fit either one of these, better get it straightened out soon; there are no guarantees about tomorrow.

Remember, once you get Jesus, then you will want to be like Him. This study demonstrates that Barnabas is also a fine man after whom we can model our behavior.

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Criticizing God’s Leaders

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Not that it’s happening in our church, but I thought I’d stroll through the Bible to find out what happens when people choose to criticize God’s leaders. Consider the consequences for these men and women:

  1. Miriam: she mocked Moses because he had a Cushite wife and was struck with leprosy (Numbers 12:1-2, 10)
  2. Korah and followers: He led the people of Israel to rebel against Moses’ leadership and was swallowed up by the earth (Numbers 16:1-2, 31-32, 33, 34)
  3. Michal: she despised David because he danced before the Lord and remained childless her whole life (2 Samuel 6:16, 20, 23)
  4. Shimei: he cursed and threw stones at David and was executed at Solomon’s order (2 Samuel 16:6-8, 9-10, 1 Kings 2:41-42, 44, 46)
  5. Some Youth: they mocked Elisha and laughed at his baldness and got killed by bears (2 Kings 2:23-24)
  6. Sanballat and Tobiah: they spread rumors and lies to stop the building of Jerusalem’s walls and got frightened and humiliated (Nehemiah 2:19, 4:1, 6:2, 5, 12, 13, 14).
  7. Hananiah: he contradicted Jeremiah’s prophecies with false predictions and died two months later (Jeremiah 28:15-17).
  8. Bar-Jesus, a sorcerer: he lied about Paul in an attempt to turn the proconsul against him and was struck with blindness (Acts 13:6-12).

Covenants in the Bible

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Covenant is a pact, treaty, alliance, or agreement between two parties of equal or of unequal authority. The covenant or testament is a central, unifying theme in Scripture, God’s covenants with individuals and the nation Israel finding final fulfillment in the new covenant in Christ Jesus. God’s covenants can be understood by humans because they are modeled on human covenants or treaties.

The Bible speaks of seven different covenants, five of which God made with the nation of Israel. Five are unconditional in nature, which means regardless of Israel’s obedience or disobedience, God will fulfill these covenants with the nation of Israel. One of the covenants is conditional, meaning this covenant will bring either blessing or cursing depending on Israel’s obedience or disobedience.

The Adamic Covenant comes in two parts: the Edenic Covenant (innocence – Genesis 1:26-30; 2:16-17) and the Adamic Covenant (grace – Genesis 3:16-19). The Edenic Covenant outlined man’s responsibility toward creation and God’s one rule regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Adamic Covenant included the curses pronounced against mankind for the sin of Adam and Eve, and includes God’s provision for that sin (Genesis 3:15).

  1. God’s Promise – Satan and mankind will be enemies.
  2. God’s Sign – Pain of childbirth, toil in work (Genesis 3:16, 17).

The Noahic Covenant was an unconditional covenant between God and Noah and mankind. After the Flood, God promised that He would never again destroy all life on earth with water. He gave the rainbow as the sign of that covenant and a reminder that God can and will judge sin (2 Peter 2:5).

  1. God’s Promise – God would never again destroy the earth with a flood.
  2. God’s Sign – Rainbow (Genesis 9:12-13).

Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3, 6-7; 13:14-17; 15:12-21; 17:1-14; 22:15-18). In this covenant, God promised that He would make Abraham’s name great (Genesis 12:2), that Abraham would have numerous descendants (Genesis 13:16), and that he would be the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:4-5). God also made promises regarding the nation of Israel. Geographical boundaries of the Abrahamic Covenant are laid out in Genesis 12:7; 13:14-15; 15:18-21. In the Abrahamic Covenant, all the families of the world will be blessed through the line of Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 22:18). This means the Messiah, who would come from the line of Abraham.

  1. God’s Promise – Abraham’s descendants would become a great nation if they obeyed God, and He would be their God forever.
  2. God’s Sign – Smoking fire pot and blazing torch (Genesis 15:17-18).

Palestinian Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:1-10). The Palestinian Covenant amplifies the land aspect which was detailed in the Abrahamic Covenant. In this covenant, God, because of the people’s disobedience, would cause them to be scattered around the world (Deuteronomy 30:3-4), and He would eventually restore the nation together (Deuteronomy 30:5). When the nation is restored, then they will obey Him perfectly (Deuteronomy 30:8), and God will cause them to prosper (Deuteronomy 30:9). See also Deuteronomy 28, 29. Because of this covenant, the right of the Jews to live in the land is conditional upon their behavior. This partly conditional covenant has several parts:

  1. Dispersion of the Jews was to be a consequence of disobedience.
  2. Future repentance will be accomplished by God.
  3. God will regather his scattered people and restore them to the land.
  4. The people of Israel will be brought to the Lord as a nation.
  5. The enemies and oppressors of Israel will be punished.
  6. Future national prosperity and preeminence is guaranteed.

Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19:5-6, Deuteronomy 11). The Mosaic Covenant was a conditional covenant that either brought God’s blessing for obedience or God’s cursing for disobedience. The ten commandments (found in Exodus 20) is part of the covenant. The history books of the Old Testament (Joshua-Esther) show how Israel succeeded at obeying the law or how Israel failed at keeping the law. Deuteronomy 11:26-28 details the blessing/cursing theme.

  1. God’s Promise – Israel would be God’s special people, a holy nation. But they would have to keep their part of the covenant – obedience.
  2. God’s Sign – The Exodus, and gathering for worship at Sinai (Exodus 3:12).

Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16). The Davidic Covenant expands the seed detail which was part of the Abrahamic Covenant. The promises to David in this passage are significant because God promised that David’s physical line of descent would last forever and that his kingdom would never pass away permanently (2 Samuel 7:16). This kingdom would have a ruling individual exercising authority over it (2 Samuel 7:16). The Davidic throne has not been in place at all times, but there will be a time when someone from the line of David will again sit on the throne and rule as king. This future king is Jesus (Luke 1:32-33).

  1. God’s Promise – Salvation would come through David’s line through the birth of the Messiah.
  2. God’s Sign – David’s line continued and the Messiah was born a descendant of David (2 Samuel 7:12).

New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The New Covenant is one made with the nation of Israel and speaks about the blessings which are detailed in the Abrahamic Covenant. In the New Covenant, God promises to forgive sin and there will be a universal knowledge of the Lord (Jeremiah 31:34). It even appears that the nation of Israel will have a special relationship with God (Jeremiah 31:33).

  1. God’s Promise – Forgiveness and salvation are available through faith in Christ.
  2. God’s Sign – Christ’s resurrection.

How does the church of Jesus Christ relate to the covenants? Some people believe that the church fulfills the covenants and God will never deal with Israel again. This is called replacement theology and has little scriptural evidence. Others believe that the church initially or partially will fulfill these covenants. Many believe that the church shares in the covenants in some way, while others believe that the covenants are for Israel and for Israel alone.

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What About Church Discipline?

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The church, at times, must exercise discipline toward members who have sinned. Granted it is not done much, but why do you suppose? Could it be that people take the words of Jesus (about not judging, or getting the plank out of your own eye first) to keep us silent on correcting a fellow believer? Perhaps we don’t do it because we are very aware of our own sinfulness and failures to talk to someone else about their sin. But according to the Bible, church discipline must be handled carefully, straightforwardly, and lovingly.

The situations we find:

  1. Unintentional error and/or private sin.
  2. Public sin and/or those done flagrantly and arrogantly.

The steps we follow: (Matthew 18:15-17)

  1. Go to the brother or sister, show the fault to him or her in private.
  2. If he/she does not listen, go with one or two witnesses.
  3. If he/she refuses to listen, take the matter before the church.

The strategy we foster:

  1. Remove the one in error from the fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:2-13).
    1. The sin of others should bring on mourning and shame (1 Corinthians 5:2).
    2. The offender should be removed from the fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:2).
    3. The church calls a meeting (1 Corinthians 5:4).
    4. The unrepentant person is to be thrown to Satan (1 Corinthians 5:5).
    5. What? Why? A little bit of yeast affects the whole lump of dough (1 Corinthians 5:6, 7).
    6. Don’t pal around with people who indulge in sexual sin (1 Corinthians 5:9, 11).
    7. It is the responsibility of the church to judge believers who are sinning (1 Corinthians 5:12).
  2. The church gives united disapproval, but forgiveness and comfort are in order if he/she chooses to repent (2 Corinthians 2:5-8).
    1. Oppose the offender, but after the discipline, you must,
    2. Forgive and comfort him lest he get discouraged (2 Corinthians 2:7).
    3. Then affirm your love for him (2 Corinthians 2:8).
  3. Do not associate with the disobedient person; and if you must, speak to him/her as one who needs a warning (2 Thessalonians 3:14,15).
  4. After two warnings, reject the person from the fellowship (Titus 3:10).

Tough stuff, but how much is the marriage or the family of another man worth? When you see the dead end lifestyle and the failures in a professing believer, how can we not intervene, warn or sound the alarm? It’s not an issue of our superiority over the failing person, or that we have it all together, but it is an act of love and kindness to confront a man with his destructive habits or marital infidelity. Reach out a hand when you see a man about to step onto a slippery slope that brings tragedy and regret.

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A Checklist for Encouragers

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The command to “encourage” others is found throughout the Bible. In 1 Thessalonians 5:11-23, Paul gives many specific examples of how we can encourage others. The end of each line is a suggestion you might consider doing to encourage someone else this week.

Build each other up: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (Point out to someone a quality you appreciate in him or her)

Respect leaders: 1 Thessalonians 5:12 (Look for ways to cooperate with others and influence them to greater achievement)

Hold leaders in highest regard: 1 Thessalonians 5:13 (Hold back your next critical comment about those in positions of responsibility. Say “thank you” to your leaders for their efforts; pray for them regularly)

Live in peace: 1 Thessalonians 5:13 (Seek ways to get along with others)

Warn those who are lazy: 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (Challenge someone to join you in a project)

Encourage the timid: 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (Encourage those who are timid by reminding them of God’s promises; help them see themselves from God’s perspective)

Help the weak: 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (Support those who are weak by loving them and praying for them)

Be patient: 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (Think of a situation that tries your patience and plan ahead of time how you can stay calm)

Resist revenge: 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (Instead of planning to get even with those who mistreat you, do good to them)

Be joyful: 1 Thessalonians 5:16 (Remember that even in the midst of turmoil, God is in charge)

Pray continually: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (God is always with you – talk to him)

Give thanks: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (Make a list of all the gifts God has given you, giving thanks to God for each one)

Do not put out the Spirit’s fire: 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (Cooperate with the Spirit the next time he prompts you to participate in kingdom work)

Do not treat prophecies with contempt: 1 Thessalonians 5:20 (Receive God’s Word from those who teach it or speak His Word)

Avoid every evil: 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (Avoid situations where you will be drawn into temptation; plan your way of escape)

Count on God’s help: 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (Realize that the Christian life is to be lived not in our own strength but through God’s power)

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The Gift of Teaching

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God has given each believer at least one spiritual gift to build up the body of Christ and to minister in our hurting world. If your gift is prophecy, go ahead and proclaim God’s view of right and wrong. If it is service, desire to meet others’ needs. In the motivational list in Romans 12:4-5, 6-7, 8-9, I personally score high in encouragement, service and teaching. As I lead teachers at King’s Grant, I hope inspire them to take a serious look at what God has called them to do. Here’s what Paul had to say to Titus:

As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. — Titus 2:1-6

There is a lot of teaching going on in this passage, and I have discovered that the gift of teaching has a few characteristics:

Teaching is Organized: Whether in conversation or in a more formal setting, we will seek to communicate information clearly so the listener can follow. God has wired teachers to analyze material and present it logically.

Teaching is Thorough: We want others to understand not simply the conclusion but the steps leading up to it. We also desire to help them think matters through. It’s not just teaching what we must do, but why we must do it.

Teaching is Accurate: Our priority is to know the truth, so teachers ask questions in an attempt to discover the accuracy of what we learn. We will also inquire about the trustworthiness of our source of information.

Teaching is Studious: We get joy from studying and researching the Bible and are strongly motivated to share what we learn. Truth is presented not simply to share knowledge but with the goal that God will transform the hearer’s life.

Teaching is Bible-oriented: With this gift comes a strong desire to know what the Lord has to say. While we may recognize the value of others’ experiences, reading about them is not our main concern, nor are teachers especially motivated by personal illustrations. I like biblical examples.

All of the spiritual gifts can be used in the workplace, in our communities, and in our homes. Allow the Spirit to direct your teaching ability for God’s glory and the benefit of others.

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Careful Disobedience

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Solomon and his workers carefully followed God’s instructions (1 Kings 9:4-5). As a result, the temple work was blessed by God and completed in every detail. Here are a few examples of people in the Bible who did not carefully follow one of God’s instructions, and the resulting consequences. It is not enough to partially obey God. Good intentions, honest mistakes and half-hearted obedience is still disobedience.

Adam and Eve:

  1. Don’t eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17)
  2. Satan tempted them, and they ate (Genesis 3:1-6)
  3. They were banished from the Garden of Eden; pain and death were inflicted on all mankind (Genesis 3:24; Romans 5:12)

Nadab and Abihu:

  1. Fire for the sacrifice must come from the proper source (Leviticus 6:12-13)
  2. They used unauthorized fire for their sacrifice (Leviticus 10:1)
  3. They were struck dead (Leviticus 10:2)

Moses:

  1. “Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water” (Numbers 20:8)
  2. He spoke to the rock, but also struck it with his staff (Numbers 20:11)
  3. He was not allowed to enter the promised land (Numbers 20:12)

King Saul:

  1. Completely destroy the evil Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:3)
  2. He spared the king and kept some of the plunder (1 Samuel 15:8-9)
  3. God promised to end his reign (1 Samuel 15:16-26)

Uzzah:

  1. Only a priest can touch the holy furnishings and articles (Numbers 4:15)
  2. He touched the ark of the covenant (2 Samuel 6:6)
  3. He died instantly (2 Samuel 6:7)

Uzziah:

  1. Only the priests could offer incense in the temple or tabernacle sanctuary (Numbers 16:39, 40, 18:7)
  2. He entered the Holy Place in the temple where only priests were allowed to go (2 Chronicles 26:16-18)
  3. He became a leper (2 Chronicles 26:19)

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In the Beginning

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The Bible does not discuss the subject of evolution, rather, its worldview assumes God created the world. The biblical view of creation is not in conflict with science, rather, it is in conflict with any worldview that starts without a creator (or an uncaused first cause of everything else that was caused).

Equally committed and sincere Christians have struggled with the subject of beginnings and come to differing conclusions. Students of the Bible and of science should avoid polarizations and black/white thinking. Students of the Bible must be careful not to make the Bible say what it doesn’t say.

The most important aspect of the continuing discussion is not the process of creation, but the origin of creation. The world is not a product of blind chance and probability; God created it.

Logic dictates that at the very least there is an intelligent designer (like a watch maker) that designed the complexity of the universe. Irreducible complexity tells me that at some point a complex system, such as sight, can only happen when there are 100 percent of the component working. Remove any one component and sight does not happen. This complexity happening by accident and change takes more faith than recognizing a divine creator. A God powerful and creative enough to get all this done sounds a lot like the God of the Bible.

The Bible not only tells us that the world was created by God; more important, it tells us who this God is. It reveals God’s personality, his character, and his plan for his creation. It also reveals God’s deepest desire: to relate to and fellowship with the people he created. God took the ultimate step toward fellowship with us through his historic visit to this planet in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. We can know this God who created the universe in a very personal way.

The heavens and the earth are here. We are here. God created all that we see and experience. The book of Genesis begins, “God created the heavens and the earth.” Everything after that statement begins the most exciting and fulfilling journey imaginable.

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Bad vs. Good Shepherds

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The Bible is full of what is called, word pictures. These are word descriptions that bring up a vivid image of something greater than the mere words. The saying is true, a picture is worth a thousand words. Look at this comparison between good and bad shepherds of God’s people:

Bad Shepherds

  1. Take care of themselves
  2. Worry about their own health
  3. Rule harshly and brutally
  4. Abandon and scatter the sheep
  5. Keep the best for themselves

Good Shepherds

  1. Take care of their flock
  2. Strengthen the weak and sick, search for the lost
  3. Rule lovingly and gently
  4. Gather and protect the sheep
  5. Give their best to the sheep

Great Shepherding Verses:

Numbers 27:17, 2 Samuel 5:2, 1 Kings 22:17, Psalm 23:1, 28:9, 77:20, 78:71, Isaiah 13:14, 40:11, 56:10-11, Jeremiah 3:15, 10:21, 23:1, 23:4, 25:34, 50:6, Ezekiel 34:2, 5, 10, 11-12, 23, Zechariah 11:4-17, Matthew 2:6, 9:36, 25:32, 26:31, Luke 15:1-7, John 10:1-21, Acts 20:28, Hebrews 13:20, 1 Peter 2:25, 5:2-4, Jude 1:12 NLT, Revelation 7:17

A Collection of Attitudes

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The story of the Good Samaritan is pretty well known, but we might be able to boil it down to a collection of attitudes. Note these different attitudes toward the wounded man.

  1. To the expert in the law, the wounded man was a subject to discuss.
  2. To the robbers, the wounded man was someone to use and exploit.
  3. To the religious men, the wounded man was a problem to be avoided.
  4. To the innkeeper, the wounded man was a customer to serve for a fee.
  5. To the Samaritan, the wounded man was a human being worth being cared for and loved.
  6. To Jesus, all of them and all of us were worth dying for.

Confronting the needs of others brings out various attitudes in us. Jesus used the story of the good but despised Samaritan to make clear which attitude was acceptable to him. If we are honest, we often will find ourselves in the place of the expert in the law, needing to learn again who our neighbor is.

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